June 24, 2014 AT 12:00 am

Lessons For the Next Generation of Leaders From Girl Scouts CEO #makerbusiness @AnnaMariaChavez

Growing up in the small farming town of Eloy, Arizona, in the 1950s and 1960s, Anna Maria Chávez didn’t have the opportunity to witness many strong, female leaders in action. But like many young girls in America, she became a Girl Scout.

During her first camp experience at 12 years old, Chávez decided she wanted to become an attorney. “It was because of what I learned as a Girl Scout [that I decided I wanted] to become an advocate to protect the environment, to advocate on behalf of people who didn’t have a voice,” she says. Chávez became the first person in her family to attend college at Yale University, earned a law degree from the University of Arizona, and went on to work in both the federal and state government on community development and housing issues.

Although she never imagined decades later she would become the CEO of Girl Scouts, she credits the organization with paving the way for her entire career. In her speeches to young girls, Chávez often shares these four pillars she believes have been responsible for her success as a leader…